Cold-air attachment for air-compressors



(No Model.)

E. HILL. GOLD AIR ATTACHMENT FOR AIR GOMPRESSORS.

Patented July 1-2, 1881.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER HILL, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

COLD-AIR ATTACHMENT FOR AIR-COMPRESSORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,128, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed February 24, 1881. (No model.) I

To all whom z'tmdy concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER. HIL of South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cold-AirAttachments for Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

Air-compressing engines, being closely connected with steam-engines, are supplied with the air which they compress from the air in the en gine-room. The average temperature of most engine-rooms is about 82, while the average temperature of the atmosphere for the entire year throughout the Northern States is about 62. Now, under such circumstances, an aircompressor taking its supply of air from theengine-room will require about four and one-half per cent. more power to compress the same weight of air to sixty pounds pressure than if it were supplied from the open atmosphere.

The object of this invention is to provide a means of supplying air-compressors with a cooler supply of air for compression than is now done; and the invention consists in the combination, with an air-compressing engine, of hoods over the inlet-valves with conduits and air-passages through a chamber or chambers which are connected with the external atmosphere, and by which the air is partially cooled before it enters the compressor, as will hereinafter appear.

The drawing represents an air-compressor in elevation and the air-inlet conduits in section.

At A is represented the cylinder of the engine, with a piston-rod at B and outlet or dischargepipeatC. Theengineismountedonmasonry for a foundation, as at D, which extends down some distance into the earth, so that a chamber or chambers may be formed on one or all of its sides, similar to a cellar, two of such chambers being shown at E, and which are of suflicient size to form large cooling-chambers for the air in its passage to the compressor. These chambers may be surrounded with walls or have earthen banks, which may be kept moist, and thereby serve as absorbents of the heat in the air. The cover to said chambers is the floor of the engine-room, as shown at F,

and through the floor openings are made, as at G, for the air to pass up to the supply or inlet ports at H, and over these openings are placed hoods, as, at K, which may be cast or made of sheet metal, to fit over the ends of the compressor-cylinder and around the openings in the floor, to properly conduct the air from the cooling-chambers and prevent its commingling with the air in the engine-room. These hoods are so shaped and provided with handles, as at L, that they may easily be moved back from the ends of the cylinder, so that the valves may be examined whenever required. The said cooling-chambers may also have deflecting-partitions, as at M, to force the air, as it enters from the outside, down to a close proximity with the bottom of the pit, and thereby distribute its caloric to the earth; and, to further cool it, sprays of water may be conducted into the chambers, as shown at N, from pipes for that purpose, as shown at O.

The air may be conducted into the coolingchambers or pit down a trunk erected on the outside of the engine-room, as at P, so that it may be taken at a considerable height from the surface of the earth, or to a certain extent free from the heat of radiation, and thus furnish the air from as cool a portion of the atmosphere as may be conveniently obtained.

It is evident that various other modifications may be made without departing from the nature of this inventionas, for example, the air may be drawn through long conduits of stonework in the earth, which may be naturally or artificially moistened, and thence conducted to the inlet-ports underneath the hoods or covers, as shown.

I therefore claim- In combination with an air-compressor, the hoods and cool-air conduits for supplying cool air to the inlet-ports, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EBENEZER HILL.

Witnesses:

EUGENE N. ELio'r, RICHARD J. CARTER. 

